


Choosing to Forget

by MandolinDoodler



Series: Hiccup/Viggo AUs [6]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Amnesia, Faking Illness, Grimborn Family, Hiccup messing with Viggo, M/M, Manipulation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:14:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27502123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MandolinDoodler/pseuds/MandolinDoodler
Summary: Viggo thinks Hiccup has amnesia and Hiccup isn’t about to correct him anytime soon.
Relationships: Viggo Grimborn/Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III
Series: Hiccup/Viggo AUs [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1855789
Comments: 113
Kudos: 164
Collections: why I only sleep an hour a night





	1. Making a Plan

Hiccup is tired. So  _ so _ damn tired. It's not just because he stayed up a few nights in a row to work on his fire sword and other projects, it's the constant battle with Dagur and the Hunters and trying to keep up with Viggo in this life size version of Maces and Talons. He wants to rest his body and mind, get away from it all for just a couple days.

When an opportunity for escape presents itself Hiccup takes it. Shot down during a recon mission, he finds himself coming conscious to Viggo, Ryker, and several hunters approaching from the surrounding forest. Their weapons are drawn as they hesitantly step closer. Hiccup feels more than he sees Toothless leap over and settle above him, a shadow that snarls at the threats before them. The hunters look ready to attack until Viggo holds a hand out to signal them to halt, though they're still poised to jump.

His brain is kind of fuzzy when Viggo speaks to him. Hiccup is sure it's something snarky that he would normally rise to, but all he can focus on is the deep tone of the man's voice and how it doesn't hurt his head. When he doesn't respond according to plan, Viggo dares to get closer, kneeling down so he can get a better look at his young rival. Toothless growls at the chief but Hiccup rests a hand on the dragon's forearm to settle him - he doesn't want to be caught in the middle of a fight in this state even if it means they get captured in the process.

Viggo asks a question but the words sound garbled to Hiccup's brain. The confusion must be clear on his face because Viggo pauses, considers, reaches a hand out and barely brushes his fingers over the rider's cheek where Hiccup can already feel a bruise forming but the man's hand feels cool on his heated skin so he leans into it just a touch. It's enough to seal some sort of deal - Hiccup can see it in the dragon hunter's eyes, it's the one thing that seems clear amidst the fog. And yet, there's no foreboding.

He closes his eyes and let's darkness envelop him.

The next time he wakes his mind is somewhat clearer. He's in a bed, tucked into soft furs that smell of spice and musk. Curled on the floor at the end of the bed is Toothless looking content as he eats from a dish of fish. There's a desk by one wall of the tent, a couple chests, a bookcase, the typical dragon hunter decor that always turns Hiccup's stomach.

Part of the tent opens up and Viggo silently walks in. He secures the entrance behind him. His eyes roam over to Toothless who gives a snarl, though a lot of the usual anger is missing from it. Hiccup suspects the fish and the fact they're not in cages or chains has a lot to do with that. For whatever reason they've been treated well in their capture and Toothless apparently isn't going to ruin that yet.

When Viggo's gaze gets to the bed, he perks up seeing Hiccup is awake. A grin adorns his face as he walks over and sits by Hiccup's hip. "I feared you would never wake again, my dear." He brings a hand up to cradle the rider's face, his eyes concerned as he takes in the visible bruises and scratches there. "How are you feeling?"

"I-," it takes a moment for him to form words, his brain confused and his throat dry. The sips of water Viggo helps him take soothe his throat and refresh his mind a bit. "Tired. I'm tired… and hurt all over." The words come out kind of slurred and seem to make Viggo's brow crease in worry.

"Hm. Well, you can rest easy now. And rest will help you heal." He removes his hand from Hiccup's face, let's it settle on the teen's thigh instead where it gives a comforting squeeze. "The storm has passed and the crew is readying the ships. By tomorrow morning we'll be back on course to home."

"Home?"

"Yes, home." The confusion on Hiccup's face increases, so Viggo elaborates, "part of our engagement, love. You're joining me in the Hunter village so the rest of my tribe can finally meet you and give you a proper welcome."

That doesn't clear anything up. If anything, Hiccup has a thousand more questions than before and a panic is rising in his chest and did his dad arrange a marriage for him while he was out cold or is Viggo really trying to lie his way into an engagement with his enemy?

"Hiccup," there's a hint of fear in Viggo's deep brown eyes and it's terrifying how good of an actor the man is. "You  _ do _ remember that… don't you? I know you seemed disoriented when we found you, but I assumed that was simply from the crash landing. Perhaps, it did more damage than I originally anticipated."

Somehow, that sparks a memory. No, not of any of Viggo's lies, but of being found, the fogginess and confusion, not being able to make out the figures around him or form a coherent thought. Does Viggo think he has amnesia? What did he say that would give the hunter that impression? And oh my gods is he really trying to take advantage of his supposed ailment? Hiccup wants to rage at the man for being so cruel and ruthless, but the words die on his tongue.

What happens if he reveals himself to Viggo?

He's defenceless. He's injured all over, can barely move his own arm or think straight. If he breaks the illusion, now, then he's at Viggo's mercy in a different way, a way that will likely mean himself and Toothless get thrown in a cramped cage, beaten and starved for information, waiting for the dragon riders to track them down after their scents have been washed away by the storm that must have come through. But if he plays along? Viggo is treating him with a kindness Hiccup didn't know existed in the hunter. He's even kept Toothless fed and content.

"I don't… remember anything." Hiccup isn't good at acting but he can play dumb. If it means he doesn't have to fight his way out of a situation he'll lose, then he can pretend he has amnesia, pretend he isn't repulsed by Viggo's affections (however real or fake they are).

He'll take his time healing and when he's good and ready, he'll wake up one day with all his memories back. When that day comes, he can finally let out his fury at Viggo for taking advantage of him in such a vulnerable state and Viggo will never have to know that Hiccup  _ let _ it happen.

And if this means Hiccup finally gets a damn break from the fighting and the war and the stress, then he's going to revel in it.

"When we get to the village, I'll have the healer take a look at you. Perhaps he'll know how to restore your memories." Viggo wraps Hiccup's hand in his own larger one. "Until then, rest up. I'll wake you for dinner." He kisses Hiccup's knuckles, stands, and leaves the tent.

Silence hangs heavy in the air. Hiccup looks to Toothless who was watching the entire exchange. There's no doubt the dragon understands what just happened, can smell Hiccup's lies mingling with Viggo's lies. The look on his face is the same one he gets when Hiccup is testing new devices or in a project haze. It says 'this is gonna blow up in your face and you'll have no one to blame but yourself' and Hiccup accepts it this time because he knows the nightfury is right.

Despite that, he musters a wry grin and says, "we're finally getting that vacation, bud." Toothless grumbles and rolls his eyes, turning his attention to the remaining fish on his plate. Meanwhile, Hiccup sinks into the furs, feeling every ache in his body flare before settling. He falls asleep content in the knowledge that his rest won't be interrupted by hunter attacks, dragon rescue parties, deranged not-brothers, or troublesome dragon riders.


	2. Hiccup Arrives in Dalir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup gets his first look at the Dragon Hunter village and the Grimborn family

They arrive in Dalir after ten days of sailing. Hiccup is thankful he’s too tired and injured to notice each day pass and that the rocking of the ship is soothing when he’s wrapped in furs. During the day, Viggo passes through the room, usually with meals or to change Hiccup’s wrappings. He doesn’t often linger when there’s light out. At night, he works in the study connected to his room. By the time the chief makes it to bed, Hiccup is already asleep and barely notices when Viggo crawls in next to him.

“Best to keep our routine normal - it may help you recover your memory,” he explained after the first night when Hiccup laid tense next to him, waiting for roaming hands and wondering if he’d be able to keep his mouth shut in order to not blow his cover. He’s almost surprised Viggo has managed to take it so slow, keeping his touches limited and not a single kiss on the lips, yet. But Viggo is smart. If Hiccup has amnesia, then they’re basically strangers. This is just another strategic move to not scare him off before they can get to the village where no one can find them.

By the time they get to Dalir, Hiccup has regained some mobility. He can walk with some support and doesn’t rely on Viggo to help him eat or drink like in the first few days after his crash. He’d much rather have Toothless as his sole support in this new place, but he’s willing to keep up appearances and hang off Viggo’s arm if it means finally getting off the ship. It’s the first time he’s really been around the other hunters since his “amnesia” and it’s strange to see them holding back their glares as he walks by them.

What’s stranger is getting out of the docks and into the main market where the regular villagers are. Logically, he knows it wouldn’t be much different than Berk or any other viking settlement, yet his mind conjured an image like the Northern Markets with shady vendors and danger lurking in every corner. This market, though, is filled with life.

Families mingle between stalls, shouts rise above the crowd as friends find each other and parents barter with merchants. They look over when they see him and Viggo stroll by and there’s only curiosity directed at them. Most surprising is their lack of hostile reaction to Toothless. The nightfury is pressed against his other hip (Hiccup isn’t happy about how that forces him closer to Viggo, but the gesture is comforting all the same) and eyeing anyone that gets too close. Hiccup recognizes the behavior from when the dragon first joined Berk and didn’t know who to trust or wanted to keep everyone away from his rider.

The village is so much different than he imagined. He always thought the rest of the tribe would share the enthusiasm of killing and hunting dragons - that's how Berk was before they made peace - but it's like they're completely detached from the business. Well, not  _ completely _ . They obviously produce a lot of their equipment here and the people are decorated with dragon-wares and it's easy to pick out which huts belong to hunters. But there's not the constant talk of hunting dragons or killing the beasts. It doesn't consume their lives in the way dragon killing consumed Berk.

Children run around with normal toys instead of weapons, they dream of being hunters but they also dream of other things like baking and building and adventures. Hiccup learns this when they arrive at the Grimborn hall and he meets Ryker’s children: Orest, Armod, and Gyda.

The kids rush the door the second it opens. Viggo is quick to shield Hiccup from the hellions who are just as quick to halt their assault when they see their uncle instead of their father. Orest, the oldest daughter, stands a bit taller when she sees Viggo and it reminds Hiccup of a general getting ready to give a report to his king.

“Welcome back, uncle.” It seems a bit formal for an eight year old, yet Hiccup can’t help but think it’s kind of cute. Even cuter is how her outfit resembles Viggo’s. “While you were gone, I studied the books you left about war strategies in the Northern Tribes. I almost made it through all of them, but  _ somebody _ stole them before I could finish studying.” She directs a heated glare at her younger brother, Armod, who avoids the stare in favor of counting the knots in the wall.

“Maybe if  _ you _ weren’t so mean to me…” he mumbles under his breath. Orest’s fist twitches and Armod bolts out of range, running deeper into the hall and out of sight.

“I’m sure they’ll turn up,” Viggo pacifies before the girl can run after her brother, “we can pick up your studies at a later time. For now, we have a guest.” He leads Hiccup into the hut, allowing him to stand beside him once more. “This is Hiccup.”

“Is he the one you’re marrying?” Armod asks from above them, startling Hiccup.

“How did he…”

Viggo is unphased as he answers. “Yes, he is my fiance. You are to treat him with respect while he is here.” Orest and Armod share a narrow eyed look at the word “fiance” that makes Hiccup wonder how much the rest of the tribe knows about him and why he’s here.

“Whoa!” a third small voice exclaims from behind them. Though it makes his body ache, Hiccup turns to see a little girl, no older than three, gazing up at Toothless in awe. “Dragon!” She’s proud of her declaration as she spares a look to her uncle who nods an affirmation to her. If not for their proximity, Hiccup wouldn’t have noticed the brief tension that wracks Viggo’s body when Toothless stoops down to snuffle at the child’s face, his teeth retracting when her pudgy fingers reach up to push his snout away.

The nightfury smiles at her, gently nipping at her hands with his gummy mouth as a way to show he means her no harm and she giggles at the treatment. It’s strange to see a child so unafraid of dragons when first meeting one. Most Berkian children still have memories of the dragon raids, winged beasts raining fire from the night sky, tearing apart their homes. Even the youngest are told stories of what it used to be like before peace was achieved.

Here, though… Dalir is too far away to be affected by the same nest that was near Berk. They don’t have that ingrained fear of dragons except for stories they may hear of hunting them.

Hiccup can feel himself losing energy - he’s put more strain on his body in the last hour than he has in the last week. Slumping into Viggo is all it takes to snap the man’s attention away from Toothless so he can help Hiccup to the couch. Once the dragon rider is settled, his gaze is immediately back on his nieces and nephew, the other two having gotten brave enough to approach the nightfury.

“Gyda-” Viggo goes to warn the little girl when she decides to start climbing Toothless, but Hiccup stops him.

“She’s fine,” he waits for Viggo’s eyes to meet his own, “she can’t hurt Toothless and he won’t hurt her. He loves kids - they sneak him extra fish and are always willing to give him scratches.” He chuckles at the end, partly at Toothless but mostly at Viggo. The almighty dragon hunter chief caring about the wellbeing of three children when Hiccup’s only known the man to be ruthless and uncaring of the lives of his men.

It almost reminds Hiccup of Stoick after Hiccup woke from his coma. His father was so fidgety when it came to Toothless being near Hiccup or anyone else in the village. What was considered normal rough housing for the dragon and rider always put Stoick in a tizzy because he was too busy worrying about the two ton beast pinning his scrap of a son to the ground.

"Viggo!" A woman is marching towards them from the other end of the hall. She unceremoniously drops a basket of laundry on the table as she passes it, her blue eyes pinned to Viggo. "Where is that husband of mine?"

"Settling matters at the docks, Ida."

"Mhm, since when do you leave him to do that? The deal is that _you_ bring the ships in and _my_ _husband_ gets to come home." She's nearly in Viggo's face and Hiccup feels caught between them despite being sat on the couch.

Ida is the type of woman Gobber might describe as beefy with eyes a pale blue and hair the color of straw in a thick braid behind her head. Her presence demands a certain level of respect and Hiccup can already see the power struggle between Viggo and his sister-in-law when it comes to this household.

"I needed to escort Hiccup here-"

"Ryker could have done that."

Viggo makes a noise that says he disagrees with that statement. Ida mimics the noise back at him, her head bobbing side to side in mockery. Before she can rip into Viggo, her children go running by with Toothless jumping at their heels, their laughter turning into screeches when the dragon playfully swipes a paw at their boots. Ida yelps and Hiccup is definitely getting flashbacks of his dad's panicked face now.

"There's a dragon in my home!"

"He's harmless, really, he won't hurt-"

"Calm down, Ida. He belongs to Hiccup-"

" _ You! _ " Ida spears Hiccup with a threatening stare, "you brought a dragon here?" She stops, a new thought occurring to her bringing her focus back to Viggo, "what game are you playing this time? It's one thing to bring-"

"Why don't we discuss this in my study." Viggo ignores her protests, doesn't even spare Hiccup an excuse before he's forcefully leading Ida to a room upstairs. Hiccup is again left to wonder what everyone was told before his arrival and, now, what kind of person Viggo's tribe knows him as. Ida must know the man is manipulative if her comments mean anything.

"Are you smart?" Orest is sitting on the couch next to him, her blue eyes calculating.

"Uh"

"You have to be smart if you want to stay. That's the rule." That's a tough rule. But doesn't Fishlegs apply the same rule to the twins and Snotlout when he's working on a project? Hm. Not so much a tough rule, then, just a sensible one.

"Oh, well, I think I'm pretty clever. And Viggo must think so, too, if he brought me all the way here."

"Why can't you walk? Is it 'cause of yer leg?" This one's shot from Armod who's leaning over the back of the couch on Hiccup's other side.

"Wha- I can walk just fine even with the prosthetic."

"But Uncle Viggo was helping you walk."

"Okay, yeah, I kinda crashed while flying but-"

Gyda hops onto his lap and it takes everything in him to not cry out when she lands on a particularly bad bruise. "I wanna fly! Take me flying!"

"I really don't think-" Gyda's bouncing with excitement, now, completely ignorant to Hiccup's pain or the impending 'no' to her demand. He sucks in a breath, his cracked ribs hating every jostle caused by the child on his lap, all hope of a speedy recovery is slowly getting crushed.

"Gyda, get off him," Orest grabs her sister's arm to pull her off but the little girl refuses, pulling back with a yell and colliding with Hiccup's chest in the process. He's starting to wish he'd taken his chances in the dragon hunter cages. It couldn't be worse than having children fighting on top of him.

Toothless croons in distress. Armod has joined the fight as if it's a game and now all three kids are a tangled mess around Hiccup so Toothless can't just grab them to pull them away and he doesn't want to hurt them but they're hurting Hiccup!

He roars.

It's not a big one, not even close, but it's enough to startle the children off of Hiccup and stop their fighting. They scream as they jump away alerting Viggo and Ida who run out of Viggo's study to see what the commotion is. Hiccup knows it doesn't look good. Gyda is crying and the other two whimper when Toothless' piercing green eyes flick their way. The dragon isn't angry, just concerned and definitely not happy, but only Hiccup can decipher the difference in emotions.

Ida has Gyda in her arms in a flash, Orest and Armod tucking close to her sides, seeking comfort after the scare they received.

"What happened?" The question is hard and cold and asked by both adults in the room. Ida's frigid stare is on Hiccup while Viggo's is on Toothless and Hiccup hates that because they had such a good start and now they're back to  _ this _ , and he's lost any trust they had in him, however little that might have been.

What's worse is that he doesn't trust himself to speak just yet, not with the wheezing that shakes his lungs as he breathes through his pain. He can't even gather the will to look at Viggo right now. There was a thought that maybe he could sway the man's opinion on dragons while here, but now…

A coughing fit breaks the silence. Hiccup bends in half as the coughs wrack his body, eyes squeezing shut once it passes and arms wrapping around his middle. He squints his eyes open when he feels Viggo crouch in front of him and gently pry one of his arms back to see flecks of blood in his palm.

"You need a healer." The concern in the man's eyes catches Hiccup off guard. It's different than before, almost feels real. "Orest, go fetch Hafdan, bring him here."

Orest is quick to obey, though she hesitates when she has to pass Toothless to get to the door.

"Come, let's get you to a bed, my dear." Hiccup scowls at the mention of going back to bed, hates that he'll be stuck there even longer than before. But at least he's not on that ship anymore. Viggo huffs what might be considered a laugh as he takes Hiccup into his arms and carries the dragon rider upstairs. Toothless follows without prompting leaving Ida, Armod, and Gyda down below.


	3. Toothless Makes Amends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup is on bedrest and Toothless tries to makes amends

Hafdan says he has to rest for the next couple weeks. Any healing his ribs had done on the trip here has been negated by the rough treatment from the kids plus he managed to get an infection in his lungs. Already, he has a fever and the coughing has gotten worse. The good news is that most of the other injuries - the bruises and cuts and sprained wrist - will be healed by the end of the week, plus he's not stuck on that ship anymore.

He should have expected as much. It's not the first time he's been stuck in bed after a bad crash or getting sick. Maybe it's a selfish thought, but Hiccup is glad he isn't on Berk or Dragon's Edge for this. Back before the riders knew to be softer with him, they would continue their rough treatment, the playful shoving and punches, while he was incapacitated and it always made things worse. After they learned they had to be careful they often became too careful and overbearing, constantly hovering or crowding his room until they knew he was better.

Here, he has peace and quiet. Viggo picks up a similar routine as on the ship. During the day he's out in the village preparing for winter and performing other chiefly duties. At night he returns to the hall where he sits with Hiccup for supper, then sits in his study for a while doing paperwork and helping the kids with their studies.

Ida takes care of Hiccup throughout the day. She brings him meals and makes sure he's taking his medicine, keeps a steady supply of cool rags on him until the fever breaks. There's tension the first week after Hiccup's arrival. He doesn't know how much she understands of the situation, but her suspicion is clear and she gives the impression that she doesn't expect him to be here long. Plus the issue of bringing a dragon into the house. Regardless of her feelings, Ida takes good care of him.

"He looks at you different." It's the first non-medical related thing she's said to him and he has no idea what it means. "Talks about you different, too." Ida's focused on wrapping his wrist, her eyes not leaving her work making it harder for Hiccup to decipher her tone and what she means.

"Papa thinks yer different, too." Gyda pipes up next to him. She came in with Ida to apologize for hurting him, the children previously having been forbidden from disturbing him until his fever was gone. He forgave her instantly and offered his own apology for Toothless scaring her and her siblings, explaining that she scared the dragon when she jumped on Hiccup. Gyda had a good laugh about that, not believing a tiny girl like herself could scare a mighty dragon and it seemed to be enough to ease some tension out of Ida.

"Viggo doesn't bother to bring suitors home anymore - they never last long and fighting to keep them is such a hassle for him."

There's a snarky comment at the tip of his tongue. He wants so badly to agree with that, say that he would run, too, if he found himself engaged to a man like Viggo, say that the only reason he's here is for a break from fighting and to heal. He swallows it. There are questions he could ask here, instead, but his mind comes up blank.

"He's… different than I expected him to be." That's the truth. On the ship he was still the ruthless dragon hunter chief that was acting out a charade of kindness and love. In Dalir, in this home, Hiccup almost believes it's not a charade at all. Viggo treats his nieces and nephew with tenderness and patience. He can hear them from the study on quiet nights, the children asking questions and Viggo taking the time to give them thoughtful answers, explaining each part until they understand. He even answers some of the weirder questions Armod and Gyda come up with.

Hiccup's found himself lulled to sleep by the rhythm of Viggo's voice on more than one night.

Ida hums in agreement. Hiccup wishes she would elaborate on her own statements, yet can't muster the courage to ask.

"Your dragon keeps leaving 'presents' by my back door." The jump in topic is like whiplash and Hiccup needs to take a minute to recalibrate his brain to the subject of his dragon. Toothless has spent a fair amount of time out of the room or hiding in the rafters. Now that he doesn't have to defend against dragon riders and Ida has proven she can care for his rider, the nightfury has begun a venture of his own. Part of that is getting on Ida's good side.

"Oh, yeah, Viggo mentioned the, uh, kills Toothless has been bringing back." It was simple to explain to Viggo since the man understands dragons and is willing to learn more. But Ida? Hiccup has no clue. "Well, part of that is him making amends. He truly feels bad about scaring the kids and he's trying to make it up to you."

"Mm, and the other part?" She’s looking at him now, blue eyes intense.

How does he explain this in a way she'll understand? "To him we are visitors in another dragon's nest,” he starts slow, picking each word out carefully. “We're here for an indefinite amount of time, you're feeding us and taking care of us and Toothless wants to ensure our presence is paid for." Hiccup pauses. "Ah, no - wait, not 'paid for' but that we're… that we're carrying our weight while we're here. Normally I would be able to help with that - pick up chores around the house, watch the kids, do odd jobs, anything to make us not a burden while we're here. Obviously, I can't really do any of that right now so Toothless is picking up the slack the best way he knows how."

His eyes avoid Ida's as he speaks, lingering on the ceiling and walls as he gathers the right words to say. Finally, he dares to look and sees a thoughtful expression on her face. A spare glance to Gyda shows she's intently listening and invested in his answer, as well.

"He doesn't do this to Ryker and Viggo. Always waits till it's me that opens the door before handing over his kill."

That was funny to hear about when he heard the yelling and cursing downstairs two days ago. Ida sent Ryker out to fetch the deer Toothless brought back but the moment he went to reach for it the dragon pulled an intimidation pose to startle Ryker away. He wouldn't let the man get anywhere near the offering and only gave it up after Ida came to get it herself.

"You're the head of this nest which means the gifts belong to you first, not anyone else." Hiccup smiles when he says it. It brings him great joy that any claim Viggo had of being head of this household has become null and void because a dragon recognizes someone else as the holder of that position. Ida seems to agree.

"A sensible dragon."

"He  _ is _ one of the smarter ones."


	4. One Month

One month since Viggo found him after shooting him out of the sky. One month of playing dumb and pretending to have amnesia. One month and he's healed enough to get home.

Yet, he's still in Dalir.

Hiccup tells himself it's because he's not completely healed. Yeah, technically he could make it home in this state, be well enough to camp through the couple nights it will take to get back to Berk. But what if Viggo fights him on it? Tracks him down and brings him back by force? Gets angry about the whole deception thing and finally decides to take Hiccup out? He can't fight in this condition.

So he'll hang out here.

The people are nice. They greet him with smiles and have welcomed him into their tribe as if he's one of their own (a traitorous voice compares it to the way Berk  _ didn't _ welcome him or treat him like a part of the tribe for so long). The land is nice. The towering forests that surround the village, the trails that wind their way up and around the mountain, pristine ocean with the occasional sea dragon riding the waves in the distance. Reluctantly, he gave the designs for an automatic tailfin to Viggo so Toothless wouldn't be grounded the entire time Hiccup is healing. The nightfury barely resisted destroying the contraption the moment it was on him, but now he uses it every few days to fully take to the skies and stretch his wings.

Hiccup makes sure to always smile when the dragon returns, reassure him it's okay that they have to fly apart for a bit. He's mostly glad his friend is comfortable enough to leave his side for a few minutes and not hover constantly (he hovers on Berk, the voice whispers).

Viggo was ecstatic when he saw the designs for Toothless’ tailfin. Despite the truce between dragon and hunter, Toothless has been guarded about his equipment, always dashing away when Viggo tries to get close to study it. He finally sat still when Hiccup forced him to, the nightfury’s head resting on his lap while Viggo took measurements for the new tail. It shouldn’t have taken as long as it did, but the hunter wasn’t subtle about looking at each mechanism incorporated into the rigging.

It’s the first time Hiccup ever saw the man so free with his emotions. The entire time they worked on the tail Viggo asked questions about how he came up with it, what inspired it, where did he learn to make this part or that part. Hiccup was so enraptured with having someone not only be enthusiastic about his inventions, but understand them that he forgot that he shouldn’t remember most of that information. If Viggo noticed, he hasn’t said anything, yet.

On a side note, he's been in Dalir for weeks and has only recently met Viggo's sister.

"I was hoping to avoid it," Viggo says when Hiccup asks.

"For the rest of our lives? We're getting married, will be spending all of our lives together, and you thought you could just hide your sister from me?" It's still weird to acknowledge their supposed engagement out loud. The first time he did it he had a twisted stomach for the rest of the day and that night he laid in bed staring at Viggo's sleeping form doubting his entire plan. Come morning he nearly pretended to regain his memory.

While he can’t pinpoint what exactly stopped him, he thinks it might have something to do with how warm Viggo is. After staying up most of the night, when the chill of morning came Hiccup’s sleep deprived brain could only focus on the warm mass laying next to him and scooching closer to that warmth. By the time he was awake enough to perform his plan, he figured he’d missed his opportunity for the day.

“You’re too alike.”

“That’s not even - if you’re gonna make up excuses can you at least make them make sense?” Hiccup is healed enough that he can flail his arms around, make exaggerated gestures with them as he talks. Viggo’s eyes track the movements, the corner of his mouth perked in amusement.

“Um, agreed!” Lifa raises her hand as she pops into view from Hiccup’s other side. “You didn’t even tell me you were bringing someone home. I come back and  _ everyone _ in this dang village is like ‘ _ Lifa have you met Hiccup? _ ’ ‘ _ oh that Hiccup, he’s so sweet _ ’ ‘ _ Lifa are you excited to have a brother-in-law? _ ’ What is this? Why?” Her arm gestures are as animated as Hiccup’s.

If they could see themselves from an outside view, Viggo is sure they would understand. Mostly he’s glad the lightfury Lifa’s so fond of is still hiding out in the woods.

“Why’s it such a big deal if we’re so alike?” They say it in tandem and the synchronicity of it is enough to make Toothless look freaked out where he lounges in the grass. They're enjoying a rare warm day before the snow starts up.

Viggo doesn’t answer right away, simply takes in the view of two nineteen year olds with red/auburn hair, freckles splattered across their skin, and matching offended scowls.

“Well,” Ryker says as he steps outside and stands next to where Viggo sits on the bench, “I guess you won’t have to worry about them falling for each other. They’re practically twins.”

“I need a drink.” Viggo walks away, Ryker howling in laughter behind him. Hiccup and Lifa now have matching expressions of disgust. They’ve only known each other a couple hours but it’s more than enough time to figure out they’ll never have romantic feelings for each other.

On days like this, Hiccup wonders what it would have been like to meet Viggo under different circumstances. Could they have been like this from the beginning, sharing these playful moments where they pick on each other and banter, make each other suffer without the malice of war and fear of true pain?

Maybe that’s why he stays, he thinks as Viggo comes back out with a glass of wine. The chief sits next to Hiccup, close enough that he can drape an arm over the back of the bench and Hiccup can fit comfortably under it. They watch the kids run around in the grass, laugh as they tackle Toothless and the dragon rolls with them letting them pin him down before rolling back up and chasing each one across the hill. 

It’s comfortable. To be surrounded by a family, feeling like he’s a part of it and not just pretending he’s one of them (the voice tries to tell him he has to pretend on Berk, but he tunes it out this time. He won’t let it ruin this moment).


	5. Dagur Shows Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After weeks of searching for his brother and finding nothing, Dagur reaches out to his last resort.

Dagur arrives early one morning.

He's been looking for the Berkian heir just like everyone else - the riders, Defenders of the Wing, Wingmaidens, even the Outcasts are on the lookout. After weeks of finding nothing but the debris on the island Hiccup was doing his mission on and weeks of barely any activity from the dragon hunters, Dagur decided it was time to pull out his secret card.

He admits to Ryker that he knew of Dalir from his father, Oswald, learned of it as the home of dragon hunters. Time with said hunters gave him the chance to pinpoint its location and now he's here to find Hiccup because if he was caught by Viggo then he would be here where the rider's allies can't find him.

It's a mutual concern for their brothers that has Ryker leading Dagur into the village in broad daylight and has him sharing the tale of Hiccup's amnesia.

"I want him out of here,” Ryker says as they pass the last of the market stalls and enter into the main village. “They're all too attached to him - Viggo, the village, my family. What happens if his memories come back? He could wake up in the middle of the night and all he'll know is that Viggo manipulated him."

Dagur hears the implication there: what if Hiccup snaps right then and kills Viggo? What if he uses all this information to his advantage, uses it to destroy this tribe? Dagur knows Hiccup is capable of it, but he'd have to be pushed to the absolute limit before that happened, right? Only Viggo physically violating the teen and/or directly attacking Berk would be enough to cause such retribution from his brother.

"How bad is his amnesia?"

"Only remembers his dragon and his name. No tribe or friends or family, no memory of the war he's fought with us for months. He's a blank slate."

"Has he asked about any of us?"

"Not really."

Dagur laughs, "are you sure you have the right kid? Hiccup's hit his head before and he wouldn't stop asking questions till he had all his memories back. He never shuts up."

A croon catches Dagur's attention and brings his eyes up to Toothless perched on a rooftop nearby. The nightfury stares intently, questioningly. There's a challenge in his acidic green eyes but Dagur isn't sure what it means, what he's warning the Berserker not to do. Toothless looks up the street at the forge. Dagur follows his gaze.

Inside is Hiccup working alongside the local blacksmith. While the larger man works at the anvil shaping metal, Hiccup stays occupied on the sidelines with sharpening tools and weapons. Even from a distance Dagur can see the easy smile on his brother's face, practically hear the laughs that shake his chest every so often. Villagers greet him as they walk by, some stopping to talk to him as they come in to pick up an order or wait to put one in.

Dagur understands, now.

He's seen the same scene play out on Berk. Hiccup working the forge, villagers coming and going as they do their business. They speak to Hiccup as they pass through, he returns them their weapons in exchange for payment or he takes notes on their orders and gives them a quote, then they're gone and he's back to work.

For all the similarities, this scene in Dalir is so much warmer than he remembers in Berk. Because here the people linger and Hiccup doesn’t flinch every time someone gets close and Toothless isn't lounging on the roof eyeing every patron that comes in to do business.

He doesn’t wait for Ryker to lead the way. Dagur walks over to the forge, putting in only the slightest effort to stay hidden in the crowd so he can savor a few more minutes of observing Hiccup. When he makes it to the front of the crowd and Hiccup looks up to greet him, Dagur catches the way the younger’s eyes widen and his breath hitches. The dragon rider is quick to recover, putting on a smile that’s not as real as the ones he gave everyone else.

“Hey there!” It’s almost painful how blatantly fake Hiccup’s enthusiasm is and Dagur has to wonder how the Grimborn brothers fell for his act, “I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. I’m Hiccup.”

“I know.” The smile on Dagur’s face is much more real, as is the way Hiccup flinches at his short statement. “You’ve been missing for a while, brother.”

There are whispers from the patrons around them. Ryker told him that the rest of the village knows of Hiccup’s amnesia - there was no official announcement, but rumors spread like fire and now there will be more rumors. But he’s not here to make life harder for Hiccup, he came here for answers so he invites the dragon rider to talk somewhere private, somewhere away from the prying eyes and gossiping villagers. Reluctantly, Hiccup agrees.

They end up taking a walk in the woods. Toothless has joined them acting as guard, of sorts, and keeping anyone from following them. Shattermaster is quick to find the group and the sound of the dragons romping between the trees is all that fills the tense silence between Dagur and Hiccup.

"You're really gonna just hide out here the rest of your life?" Dagur thought Hiccup would jump at the chance of freedom not let himself get held down by another tribe like this.

"What was I supposed to do?" Hiccup’s voice is quiet.

"Leave?"

"I was injured -  _ bad _ . There was no way I was going to fight my way out of there or risk getting shoved in a cage and starved till someone found me." He won’t look Dagur in the eye. Most people would take a couple days of rough treatment over handing themselves to their enemy for an indefinite amount of time. And with the way everyone’s been searching he would have easily been found and brought home.

"Okay, but what about now? Hiccup, you're more than healed you could have come back weeks ago!"

Silence.

"You could have at least sent word that you're alive. Everyone that knows you has been freaking out for weeks - your dad is tearing the entire barbaric archipelago apart just to find you. And he keeps looking at me like it’s  _ my  _ fault you’re gone!”

Hiccup doesn’t respond right away.

"I didn't want to risk the riders finding this place."

Dagur gives him an unbelieving look.

"Dagur, these people are innocent! This isn't like charging into a hunter camp where you can cause damage and blow things up in the name of freeing dragons. The riders aren't bad people but what if they charge in like that? What if they let their emotions take over and forget there are real people here with lives and families and - and…” He trails off, losing steam, losing his argument. His hands restlessly run through his hair as his eyes follow Toothless and Shattermaster through the trees.

“So Stoick doesn’t deserve to know his only son is still alive?” Dagur can see the way his question stings Hiccup. “Why are you still here?”

He watches Hiccup debate to himself and he wonders if he’ll finally get the truth. Finally, Hiccup looks him in the eye, though only briefly. “I think you already know.”

Yeah, he does. The few minutes in the village were all the proof he needed that Hiccup is happier away from Berk. He smiles like he means it, laughs with true joy in every breath, walks like he doesn’t have anything to be ashamed of and like the weight of the world isn’t his to carry. The Hiccup that exists here is like the Hiccup he got glimpses of when they were little kids, before Hiccup knew what being a runt meant and before Dagur knew what it was to be deranged.

Dagur lets out a long, rough sigh that’s more like a groan, rubbing his hands over his face. It’s exhausting being a big brother.

“You couldn’t have chosen a different village? It had to be this one?” Dagur only kind of means that. It’s convenient that Hiccup landed here where Dagur could find him and not in some random small village at the edge of the world where he could truly disappear. But coming here in the custody of Viggo Grimborn?

“Well, I do like making friends with my enemies,” he gives Dagur a meaningful look, sneaks a look at Toothless, too. They walk in silence, caught up in their own thoughts for a minute.

“So… you and Viggo are friends, now?” The corner of his mouth snakes up because he knows the story Viggo fed to his people.

Hiccup chuckles, but it’s that awkward one he makes when he’s hiding something. “Something like that.” He’s back to not meeting Dagur’s gaze. Dagur grins.

“Am I invited to the weddi-”

“No.”

“But-”

“Rephrase:  _ gods, _ no!”

They stay in the woods for a while, Dagur razzing Hiccup and Hiccup trying to steer the conversation away from his not-so-fake love life. The sun is below the horizon when they make it back to the Grimborn hall. Dagur stops at the bottom of the path leading up the hill.

“You go on ahead, I’m heading out tonight.”

“Are you sure?” Hiccup looks torn between insisting he stay the night and letting him go so they won’t have to keep up the amnesia act. He doesn’t fight when Dagur affirms he wants to leave.

“I’m going to tell your dad.” He has to be firm about it, make sure Hiccup knows there’s no compromise on this part. Stoick needs to know his son is alive or he might not make it through the winter.

“I - okay.” Hiccup takes a deep breath. “Yes, you should - he should know that I’m okay. Just… don’t tell the riders where I am?” Dagur has learned firsthand that the other teens are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to Hiccup and they wouldn’t hesitate to charge through the upcoming winter storms just to get their leader back. “I’ll handle them in the spring when they’ve had time to cool down and might actually listen to what I have to say about all of this.”

That’s a long few months for Hiccup to keep his friends in the dark, but Dagur agrees. He wonders how long it’s been since Hiccup had a peaceful winter, wonders if his brother can have that here among dragon hunters and without the pressure of being a chief’s son or the leader of teenaged dragon riders.

They say their goodbyes and Hiccup heads up to the hut. Dagur waits at the bottom of the hill until Hiccup is inside and another figure exits, charging down the path. Ryker snarls when he gets to Dagur. “I told you to get rid of him.”

“Yeah, then I decided not to.” Dagur smirks at the elder man. “He’s not a threat here.”

A condescending laugh breaks out of Ryker, “wasn’t it you that said over and over not to underestimate the Haddock boy?”

“Oh-ho-ho, that was definitely me. But! That was when he was our enemy.” He swings an arm around Ryker’s shoulders, stretching through the height difference. “Don’t be Hiccup’s enemy and you don’t have anything to worry about!” He pat’s the hunter’s back, then pulls away and turns to the forest.

“I’ll be back in the spring to check up on him,” Dagur calls over his shoulder. “See you in a few months!” He doesn’t wait to hear what Ryker has to say to that, ignores the angry yells that follow him into the sky as he takes off on Shattermaster. All that matters is that his brother is alive and happy and now Dagur can focus on getting back to Berk so he can have a (long and agonizing) chat with Stoick.


	6. Feels Like Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The little moments that make Dalir feel like home

The kissing is new. Kissing  _ Viggo _ is new. The dragon hunter was never shy about that aspect of their fake relationship, but it wasn't until after Dagur showed up that he started kissing Hiccup on the lips. And Hiccup doesn't hate it.

Actually, kissing is a pleasant way to start the morning. More often than not, Hiccup is woken by Viggo's lips scattering kisses over the exposed skin of his shoulders, finding a spot on his neck to linger at, marking a trail up his jaw until Hiccup is arching into the older man, head tilted to give him better access. It leaves him a bit hot and bothered by the time they make it out of bed and down to breakfast, but by evening they'll be back at it, Hiccup returning every kiss with as much enthusiasm as Viggo gives them.

The warmth it ignites in his belly is matched by that in his heart. Because it isn't just the excitement of bedding someone, lust driving every touch and kiss and nibble. This feels like Viggo is grateful every morning he wakes to find Hiccup still laying next to him. As if every night that Hiccup joins him in bed is a promise that he'll stay another night another day. Hiccup feels loved by this dragon hunter that he thought would only ever be capable of lusting after him.

"Have we ever done more?" They barely made it to the bed this time. Hiccup straddles Viggo's lap, their clothed cocks so close and he wants to eliminate the space in between, wants to know what it would be like to push further, pretend like they've done this a thousand times before.

"Had sex?" There's a breathlessness to Viggo's voice, an eagerness in his deep brown eyes.

Hiccup nods, hand running over the scars on Viggo's neck.

"Yes." It seems Viggo would like to pretend tonight, too. Hiccup kisses him to keep from laughing or tacking on a smart remark. He's pretty sure Viggo knows the amnesia is fake, but there's no use ruining the game now. The moment either of them breaks the illusion they'll have to face the reality of their situation, admit that their origins won't allow this to work. Until then they'll keep pretending.

"Would you like to?" Viggo asks when Hiccup ends the kiss. His forest green eyes consider his unlikely partner.

"No, not tonight." As much as he wants to throw caution to the wind, Hiccup also wants to test this boundary.

"Of course, my dear."

Hiccup grins, "thank you."

They continue on as they were, relishing another night together free of their shaky past and happy to immerse themselves in the idea of a future together.

* * *

At some point, Hiccup started calling Viggo  _ chéri. _ He thinks it started in the hazy hours of sleep on nights when he would wake as Viggo crawled into bed or maybe in the morning when tender kisses eased him into the waking world. When it started doesn't really matter because up until today he's never said it outside their bedroom.

"What does that mean?" Gyda asks.

"Hm? What does what mean?" Hiccup tries to play dumb, tries to ignore how Viggo's attention is on them from across the room.

" _ Chéri _ ?" It sounds more like 'cherry' when she says it and Hiccup has to decide fast what to do because he can't let Viggo hear the answer. The one time the man asked about its meaning Hiccup sleepily replied, "fat chance I'm telling you" and proceeded to use the term even more that night.

"I…" He drags it out as he has a staring contest with Viggo over Gyda's head. "I…" An idea pops into his head, he looks Gyda in the eye, "will tell you if you promise,  _ really promise _ , that you won't ever tell Viggo."

Lifa barks a laugh from where she helps Ida with the stew. Viggo, on the other hand, looks ready to smack Hiccup upside the head. His stare is sharp when Hiccup meets it again, but the teen's smile says he doesn't care what consequences await him so long as Viggo suffers even a little. He turns back to Gyda who gasped in excitement.

“Yesyesyes!”

“Ah-a-a, hold up,” the little girl has bounced her way into his lap and Hiccup has to steady her before she tumbles straight off. “I mean it, a real promise. No one else gets to know what this means.” He’s using the mock serious face he usually reserves for Toothless, but it’s enough to get Gyda to put on her own serious face and nod to him.

“Promise,” she holds out her pinky and Hiccup links his own pinky finger with hers, sealing the oath.

“Alright.” He sends a mocking grin to Viggo, then leans down to whisper in Gyda’s ear. Hiccup pulls away and can see the wheels turning in her head, watches as she puts it into context and realizes why he uses it in reference to Viggo. She’s bouncing again and it’s too much for her to contain so she jumps from the couch to dance around the room, manic giggles echoing off the walls.

When Ryker returns with Orest and Armod, the trio inquire as to why the youngest family member is so giddy and no one gives them a straight answer. Throughout the night Hiccup sees Gyda get harassed by her siblings for an explanation, but her lips are sealed. Even later when Viggo finally gets a chance to steal the little girl away, the frustration on his face when he comes to bed proves that Gyda held true and didn’t spill his secret.

“Goodnight,  _ cheri _ ,” Hiccup says after he gives Viggo a consolation kiss.

* * *

The first time one of the kids calls him "Uncle Hiccup" he nearly drops his hammer. Hiccup's doing some repairs around the house - things Viggo and Ryker are too busy to take care of - when Armod hops over to him, book in hand.

"Uncle Hiccup, what does this word mean?" He flips the book around and points out the term he's struggling with, completely oblivious to how he just broke Hiccup's mind so easily. "Hiccup?"

The dragon rider snaps out of his stupor and quickly answers the question as well as the several that follow. Seemingly satisfied, Armod dashes in to hug Hiccup's legs, calls out a swift, "thanks!", then runs back to the living area where he joins Orest on the couch. It still astounds him that the kids are so willing to devote time to learning. It's such a new concept on Berk to focus on teaching more than just fighting and dragons that it's weird to come across a family where knowledge is encouraged.

"Uncle Hiccup!"

"Gah!"

Gyda startles him from behind. She has questions, too, but they're about other languages. Ever since finding out Hiccup can speak more than Norse and Latin, the little girl has been trying to learn from him. Mostly she likes that she can trip up her siblings by saying things they can't understand. Better yet, she swore Hiccup to secrecy so he won't tell anyone that he's teaching her which means no one even knows where Gyda is learning all this.

Honestly, the best part is knowing that not even Viggo can understand his youngest niece.

* * *

_ "You're not a viking. You're not my son." _

_ Heat everywhere, flames engulfing anything they touch, ash choking the air. Berk is burning. _

_ The riders are downed, villagers try to put out the fires, Plegma, Ack, Sven all run by, glowing burns lighting their skin, Hafdan, Ida, new faces join the fray, screams of terror of anguish fill the night, the whistling hiss of a nightfury - _

_ "No!" _

_ He turns on his heel to stop the plasma blast from killing his father, to get his dragon off of Stoick before he loses one of the people he loves the most, but it's not his father and it's not his best friend. Lying on the ground, skin charred and face barely recognizable is Viggo Grimborn. _

_ Running, he tries to run towards Viggo, his leg gives out, his foot is gone, he lands hard onto the dirt, screams echo around him, a monstrous roar shakes his bones, behind him look behind him, the Red Death rises above the smoke and flames its six eyes all focused on him, it sucks in a breath, dragons getting caught in the force of it, sickly green gas filling its throat and a spark _

_ A spark _

_ The fire eats him alive _

Hiccup takes a gulp of air as he shoots awake, hands curling tight into the fur, body wound like a spring. A shuttering breath escapes him, slow and steady. He tries to banish the cursed images from his mind and forget the sound of his father disowning him, of a nightfury's whistle aimed at that same man, the sight of Viggo burning - his heart pounds too fast in his chest.

One hand struggles to untangle from the fur, then tentatively slides over until it feels the presence of another body. He wills his eyes to look over. Next to him is Viggo perfectly safe and alive and sleeping peacefully next to him. The tightness he woke up with unwinds enough that he can get his breathing under control.

A nightmare. Just a nightmare.

Rather than risk waking his fiance, Hiccup carefully extracts himself from bed and heads downstairs to sit on the couch by the hearth. He can gather his thoughts there, let out the few tears that gather in his eyes when he thinks about all that he nearly lost back then and all that he could lose, now. There's so much more to lose now that he's let this tribe of dragon hunters into his heart. He's so caught up in his thoughts he doesn't notice the tiny footsteps that pad over to the couch or the little boy that sits barely a foot away from him.

Armod makes his presence known with a sniffle. Hiccup turns his eyes to the boy, takes in his rugged appearance, the redness of his cheeks, the tears spilling down his face.

"Nightmare?" He asks, voice just a raspy whisper. Armod nods, chin trembling. Wordlessly, Hiccup pulls him into his lap and the child eagerly curls into him with a sob. Toothless peeks his head over the back of the couch to offer his comfort to the pair, nose nuzzling into their hair and a soft croon into their ears. They sit together quietly until Hiccup finds his voice again. "This is the first one I've had since coming here." He thinks he would have had them sooner if he hadn't been injured and high on medicine for those first few weeks. 

"You know what helps fight nightmares?" Armod looks up and Hiccup wipes the tears from his cheeks before continuing, "Sleeping next to a dragon."

Toothless takes the cue and settles down in an open spot near the hearth. Hiccup stands, Armod in his arms, and walks over to sit under the dragon's wing right against his soft belly. The kids are used to playing with Toothless, tackling and climbing and being rough with him, but Hiccup knows they hardly take advantage of this softer side of the nighfury. Armod reaches out a hand to gently stroke the scales of Toothless' belly, feel the purr that resonates there as the dragon shifts to hold them closer. A small grin banishes some of the sadness in his face.

"Nothing bad can touch us so long as Toothless is here to protect us." Armod nods, sniffles one last time, and buries his face into Hiccup's chest. Within minutes they're both deep asleep.

* * *

Ryker will not be won over easily. The man has been watching Haddock since the day he came into the Grimborn's hands and only became more vigilante as the weeks passed, especially after Dagur's visit. He's waiting for the day it all falls apart, for Haddock to wake and realize he's not where he's supposed to be and take it out on Viggo and their family.

When Ryker wakes one morning only to learn his son is missing along with Haddock, all his fears seem real. The dragon rider must have gotten his memory back, probably grabbed the first family member he could find and ran off to later use Armod for leverage or revenge. It's the only thing that makes sense.

Except it doesn't make sense.

Toothless is still in the house, looking disgruntled at all the commotion around him, tucking his wings in closer with a glare at anyone who comes near.

Viggo is good at hiding his emotions, but Ryker can tell his brother is stressed by all of this. He seemed so relieved when Dagur decided not to take Hiccup away, smiling more, freer with his happiness. The whole tribe has been in better spirits with their chief taking a break from being his fear inducing ruthless self. It seems like they're going back to square one if Hiccup has left. But that still doesn't make sense.

Unbidden, the possibility arises that something else happened, an intruder that came for one and the other got caught in the crossfire. Haddock has other enemies and there are no doubt wanted posters from Viggo's bounty hunt floating around even months after the event. Anyone could have tracked him back to Dalir like Dagur did. And Ryker's kids aren't automatically safe, either: they're members of the chief's family. They've had scares before when Orest was just a babe and someone wanted to get back at Viggo or Ryker for some injustice or use her to gain money and power.

The Grimborn brothers dealt with the threats and made sure no one would try any stunts like that again but perhaps Viggo's shift in attitude has made the tribe too comfortable.

"We'll start a search, starting with the main village and moving out. Anyone that resists or stands in our way is suspect and up for interrogation." There's a glint in Viggo's eyes that proves he hasn't lost his touch just because of a few weeks of happiness. No, he's still the ruthless chief of the dragon hunter empire and someone’s going to pay for running off with his prize and his nephew.

"Who are we searching for?" A voice, thick with sleep, asks from behind them. Toothless lifts his wing enough to snuffle his nose at something underneath, his tongue darting out to lick that something and Ryker's surprised to hear a child giggle in response. A hand catches the edge of the dragon's wing to move it completely out of the way revealing Haddock and Armod cuddled underneath. Armod hops off Haddock's lap, hair sticking up from sleep and dragon spit, and strolls out from under Toothless' wing as if it's just another morning. He's wrapped in Ida's arms in a split second, questions spilling out of her mouth too fast for the boy to process.

"I had a nightmare." He sums up, though that doesn't really explain anything.

"Why didn't you come to us?" Ryker asks, eyes narrowed at the half asleep form of Haddock, wondering why his son would seek out the dragon rider instead of his own parents.

"I was gonna but Uncle Hiccup was out here. He had a nightmare, too." At the mention of his name, Haddock looks over eyes suddenly wide like a dragon caught in the line of a bola. He looks like he's still battling away the fogginess of sleep and keeps scanning the room as if looking for someone. His entire demeanor clears up when Viggo appears by his side, kneeling down to help him stand. He clutches at Viggo's arm as if afraid he'll disappear if he lets go.

"Sorry," Haddock addresses Ryker, "I always sleep next to Toothless whenever I have nightmares. Thought it would help Armod, as well."

Ryker guesses Armod looks brighter than normal. It's not too different from how he is after sleeping between himself and Ida after a nightmare. He grunts in acknowledgement, goes to pick up his son so they can finally relax and have breakfast.

Hiccup has been an intruder of his home for months now and it's hard to see him as anything other than that or the miscreant dragon rider that destroys hunter camps. He has the same wild potential that Viggo had at that age and it's frankly terrifying to think of what he could do with that after seeing what Viggo did with it. But Hiccup isn't Viggo. Hiccup doesn't have a grandfather pushing him to be better than the rest of the world and use all of his potential no matter the consequences.

Now Ryker understands what Dagur meant. Hiccup cares about people and apparently that now includes the Grimborn family.

He glances back, watches Hiccup wrap his arms around Viggo's waist, sees his lips move as he says something into the older man's ear. A smile stretches across Viggo's face, one lighter than anything Ryker's seen on his brother. They kiss and hold each other tight, then walk over to join the rest of the family.

They’re safe, so long as they aren’t his enemy.


	7. Meeting With Egil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup plays Maces and Talons with Viggo's grandfather

Hiccup has been in Dalir for almost two months and this is the first time he’s sat down with Viggo’s esteemed grandfather. Usually the man avoids talking to him, preferring to stick to the sidelines and observe for the few occasions he’s been around the family hall for meals. He has his own small hut near the chief’s home where he spends most of his time. Hiccup suspects it’s a similar situation to what Berk set up for Mildew to keep him away from the village, except this time it’s just to give Egil space from the rest of the family.

When Viggo approached Hiccup to tell him he’d been invited to a game of Maces and Talons with his grandfather, the chief seemed almost nervous as if he’d been dreading this moment since the day they’d arrived. Even so, Hiccup doesn’t feel anxious about it. He’s gone up against Viggo plenty of times - in their war and, recently, in actual games. If he can impress Viggo Grimborn, it shouldn’t be too hard to impress the man’s grandfather, right?

"I hear you come from Berk. The tribe that made peace with dragons, invited them into your homes, take to the skies with them." He stares at Hiccup intently and Hiccup pretends not to notice how the old man tops off his wine. They’ve been at it for just under an hour, taking their time making each move, sizing one another up. Though he’s not a fan of wine, Hiccup has found himself drinking from his cup to calm the unexpected nerves he got when he entered the hut.

"Uh… yeah. At least, that's what I'm told." Hiccup shrugs, eyes only briefly meeting Egil's over the board. It’s easy to tell that this is the man that taught Viggo how to play the game and how to lead a tribe.

"Sounds like the ideal place for you to be." He finally makes his move on the board, gestures for Hiccup to take his turn.

"I suppose so… it certainly sounds lovely." Hiccup studies the board, lingers a stare on one set of pieces then decides to go a different direction. After he makes his move he sits back and takes another sip from his newly filled glass. "I can't wait to see it in person, all the dragons everywhere." His tone is wistful at the end, but he can’t help it. It’s been months since he was home and he’s starting to miss it.

Egil's stare is heavy whenever it lands on him, but Hiccup has dealt with this before - men thinking they can intimidate him with a look alone, Viggo's intelligence shining through his eyes when he's in the middle of a manipulation. "You should go back." That snaps Hiccup's eyes up to Egil's. The old chief makes his move before continuing, "did they not say it would help you remember? Surround yourself with familiar people and places so they will spark your memory. Is that not what you want?"

"I… " It's hard to know what to say. Hiccup feels like he's being called out for his lies. At the same time, that doesn't feel quite right. It's more like Egil is calling out Viggo for executing a poor plan and calling Hiccup out for being the fool that fell for it. "Why does it feel like you're trying to get rid of me?"

A grin spreads across Egil's wrinkled face. The old man gestures for Hiccup to make a move. The dragon rider distractedly does as Egil speaks. "I married a woman who was cruel and ugly and shit at fighting. But her mind," he wags a finger at Hiccup, moves a piece on the board, "she could tear entire nations down with just her words." He takes a sip of wine, the first Hiccup can remember him taking since their meeting started. "What Viggo needs is someone with a mind as sharp as his own. I'll not let him fall victim to emotions and pretty faces like his father and his brother."

Suddenly, it makes sense. He's heard it around the village, whispers of other loves that were dropped unexpectedly, Viggo seeming to give up on relationships altogether, resigned to be alone as he fills his bed with temporary lovers. Hiccup always assumed it was the man's cruel nature, his ruthlessness and viewing everyone around him like pawns in his game that drove potential partners away.

In the end, maybe it was never something wrong with Viggo. He should know this by now,  _ does _ know this deep down because he's spent months learning it and just needed this last bit of information to put the picture together. His fake fiance has been denied a happy life because his ass of a grandfather views emotions as weak - a typical viking if Hiccup's ever seen one.

"You'd really rather him be jaded and alone for the rest of his life than let him marry someone that could make him happy?"

"Happiness is not for people like us, boy. Those that have a brain and can use it must not be weighed down by low intelligence barbarians throwing weapons around and pretending to be civilized. You are just another one of those barbarians but with a dragon. You don't belong here."

Hiccup can feel his heart racing, feel the blood boiling in his veins at the rage he feels towards this entitled old man. For the first time in his life he's being grouped with his people and he despises every implication it puts on him. His hands shake and he has to resist the urge to grab his wine and toss it in Egil’s face in an effort to wake the man up to reality. But he’s not a barbarian.

"If one thing has become abundantly clear to me since coming here, it's that I belong with Viggo and I belong in this village. Whoever I was before this, wherever I came from, is moot to that."

He stands.

"If you think you can play me, think again. I'm not like the others that came before me; I won't fall for your games, nor will I fall for his. Every choice I make here is my own.”

Hiccup doesn’t look back as he walks out, doesn’t deign to care what Egil’s reaction is. When he gets outside, he glances across the hill to the Grimborn hall. A warm light fills each window and the laughter of Ryker’s kids dances into the night as they try to avoid going to bed. He wants to join them.

Instead, his feet carry him to the forge where he lights a fire and finds work to busy his hands. If he were paying attention, he might notice the villagers peeking out their windows at him, their gazes concerned and fearful (they know he sat with Egil, know what that means for Viggo’s suitors, expect to see Hiccup dash off at any moment). He might have also noticed Viggo himself lingering just outside the light of the forge and talking to Hallberta who came out the second she saw the chief.

She speaks for everyone when she gives Viggo her condolences and the man accepts them because he knows what they know and he’s just as surprised as they are that Hiccup didn’t immediately call for Toothless and fly off.

Hiccup doesn't see Viggo until he's standing in the entrance of the forge. When he does notice him, he looks the man straight in the eye, hammer pointed at his chest.

"I'm not leaving."

"No one will fault you for leaving."

"That isn't what I want."

"Isn't it-"

" _ Stop _ ." The hammer hits the ground hard and Hiccup doesn't know if he dropped it or threw it there. All he knows is that Viggo is putting on an act again but this time it isn't the kind and loving fiance it's the high and mighty chief that crushes the rest of the world under his boot. This is the Viggo he met so many months ago, the one that would send a dozen of his men into a losing battle just to have a chance at getting Hiccup bound in chains at his feet. "Stop sounding like that vile old man you call a grandfather and talk to me like normal, talk to me like Viggo-freakin'-Grimborn and tell me - tell me to stay o-or tell me to leave. Anything, just tell me anything but make it come from  _ you _ ."

Hiccup is done playing these games. If Viggo wants him to go, then he'll grab what he needs and take off tonight, fly towards the horizon until there's no more horizon left and hope that somewhere between here and there his soon-to-be broken heart will either heal or get lost in the icy sea. Because leaving here will be so much harder than leaving Berk.

Viggo's face is blank, his shoulders tense and hands clenched behind his stiff back. There are gears turning in his head, words forming on his tongue. A deep breath. Determination sets into his form. His words come out steady and sure.

"You are free to go."

Oh gods. Oh gods oh gods oh gods no. That isn't what he wanted. Oh Thor, he can't breathe, can't get his lungs to pull in air, can't get anything through the lump in his throat that's  _ choking him _ . Viggo wants him to leave. After he put so much time and effort into this plan - shooting Hiccup from the sky, bringing his fleet in early and halting all other plans, getting his entire tribe to play along. So much work to get Hiccup by his side and now he's telling him to leave. And what about the progress they made? They can't be considered enemies anymore, for Thor's sake they sleep in the same bed and kiss each other with the sweet tenderness and passion of lovers because that's what they are. Were? Is that why his chest hurts so bad and his ears are ringing?

Wait, he missed something. Viggo's mouth moved but the words were drowned out by the chaos exploding in Hiccup's head but he needs to hear what was said because maybe it will explain why Viggo wants him gone and maybe it will make leaving just a smidge easier if he can just understand why this is happening.

"What?"

"I want you to stay."

Oh.

_ Oh _ .

It wasn't a passive aggressive ' _ you are free to go _ ' it was an honest one, a granting of freedom. Hiccup may go and Viggo won't stop him.

"Oh," Hiccup let's out in a breath. He stumbles back into a nearby stool, vaguely feels himself sit as the panic quiets within him. Distantly he feels Viggo's large hands rest upon his shoulders and he focuses on that, using the feeling to reel himself back into the moment.

He can stay.

He  _ will _ stay.

Viggo kisses his forehead and it's then that Hiccup realizes he's been nodding his head and murmuring "yes, yes I'll stay, please let me stay." He burrows into Viggo’s chest, breathes deep the scent of spices and leather and lets his heart ache over how much it feels like home.

“I want you to stay, Hiccup. Stay here with me.” Viggo whispers into his ear and once upon a time he would be hearing these words while bound and chained and they would have been terrifying enough to keep Hiccup awake at night. Not anymore. Rather than cower, Hiccup nods again, wrapping his arms around the dragon hunter that holds him so dear and wondering somewhere in the back of his head how his life came to this.

It isn't until his breathing is back to normal and his heartbeat has calmed that Hiccup comes to a few realizations. Most won't process until later when he can properly dissect them (the lightness in his soul, the apparently very strong feelings he has for Viggo, having to explain to his father that he's moving to a village of dragon hunters), but among all the factoids that flood his brain one has been deemed the easiest to process after the emotional stress of the day and it's honestly the last thing Hiccup wants to think about yet the words stumble out of his mouth all the same.

"There was supposed to be a wedding." Hiccup mumbles it where his face is pressed to Viggo's chest.

"A wedding?"

"A wedding," Hiccup tilts his head up, voice still quiet. "That was the whole point of this, right? To tie the knot while I supposedly had amnesia so I'd wake up one day only to learn that I'll be stuck with you for the rest of eternity." There's a smirk twitching on his lips by the end and Viggo takes the opportunity to kiss it away, Hiccup welcoming the gesture.

"That's a dramatic way to put it." Viggo earns a pinch on his side for that (not that it phases him). He grins down at Hiccup. "We can take care of that now, if you'd like. It would be a bit of a rush, but I'm sure we can find proper outfits and all the appropriate ceremonial accessories even at this time of night. The feast would be easy to put together - everyone here adores you, we'll have everything we need within an hour. Are there rings around here?" He scans the forge, "we just need a stand-in for now."

He goes to walk away in search of the metal bands, but Hiccup clings to his waist.

"Nope nope nope, no wedding! You didn't even ask me, you  _ told _ me we're getting married and that is not acceptable." Hiccup wonders if they've spent too much time together in these last few months. This is supposed to be the fear inducing chief of the dragon hunter empire yet here he stands jokingly planning a wedding with his dragon riding fake fiance.

"Mm, I should have married you when you were too weak to say no." Oh, well, that sounds a lot more like him.

"Oh yeah? What stopped you?" Hiccup asks, green eyes lighting up with mirth.

"I didn't want my betrothed looking so pathetic at my wedding."

"Ooohoho what! Alright, I'm leaving. Toothless, pack up we're taking that vacation!" The ever reliable dragon leaps down from the roof and cackles at the pair as Hiccup disentangles himself from Viggo's embrace. Toothless recognizes that tone, knows when his rider is joking, but he crouches down anyways in preparation for flight. Hiccup makes a dash for the saddle, but Viggo snatches him straight off the ground and plops him onto the workbench where he steps between Hiccup's legs and wraps his arms around the teen's waist for good measure.

"You aren't going anywhere, my dearest Hiccup." He begins a venture of pecking kisses over Hiccup's face and down along his jaw. "From now on you belong to me which means you will be staying right by my side until I say otherwise."

" _ Oui, chéri _ ," Hiccup practically moans, leaning into the kisses, hands clutching the leather of Viggo's tunic. "Mm, so, new proposition."

"Yes?" he says into the dragon rider's throat. His beard is a pleasant scratch against Hiccup's skin and he wonders how it would feel on more sensitive parts of his body. He swallows thickly.

"We skip the wedding and go straight for the consummation. Nice and easy, save time and resources and  _ oooh gods yes _ !" Viggo gives him a swift answer in the form of wandering hands slipping under fabric and teeth nipping at his collar bone. They consummate right there in the forge, nearly do it again several times on the walk home (only Toothless' interventions and the chilly winter wind keep them moving), almost don't make it up to their room in favor of doing it in the living area, and finally, blessedly, have one more passionate go at it in their own bed while Hiccup thanks the gods the walls are thick and there's a study between them and everyone else in the house.

In the morning Hiccup walks through the village with a glowing confidence, meeting the surprise and scepticism on everyone’s faces with an easy grin of his own and a reassurance sparking in his eyes. Hallberta catches his arm as he goes to step into the forge.

“You’re staying?” She asks and Hiccup nods, his grin widening. Hallberta isn’t convinced, yet, puts on a stern look to pin the dragon rider down. “No games. Plenty of suitors thought they’d stay, as well, then took off when our backs were turned. If you say you’re staying, then you’d better mean it, lad.”

“I promise.” Warmth fills his heart and he’s earnest when he tells Hallberta, “there’s no place I’d rather be than right here with Viggo.”

And Hallberta believes him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, y'all, I just figured out where I'm gonna put the whump hehe


	8. Making A Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup's hard at work to create some change and Viggo flies for the first time

"Chief!" Bodvar calls to Viggo from the bakery. "Heard there's a significant amount of dragons and explosions by the forge this afternoon, thought you ought to know."

Since deciding to stay Hiccup has been far more active around the village, in the forge, and especially in Viggo's study. It's what the dragon hunter has been waiting for from the moment he started suspecting Hiccup's amnesia as fake, knows that it's likely going to lead to the teen petitioning for change in Dalir and the ways of the tribe.

"I'll look into it." The baker nods and goes back to his work.

Honestly, taking a detour to the forge is a nice distraction to his chiefly duties. The hunting season is more in line with his interests - the organization, the planning, working directly with dragons, and the thrill of the small battles that come from having opposition like Queen Mala and Hiccup. But winter, the off season, is dreadfully mundane. He'll take any excuse to get out of settling petty arguments amongst villagers or making decisions that suddenly no one can make now that he's back on the island for winter.

Viggo rounds the corner just in time to see a monstrous nightmare spew flames at a colorful shield being held by a certain auburn haired dragon rider and Viggo has to fight every instinct that tells him to intervene because Hiccup knows what he's doing, he trusts the dragons, he knows how to work with them in his own unique way, Hiccup will be okay, so why is his heart hammering in his chest?

But he's okay. The flames die down and there stands Hiccup very much  _ not _ on fire or in danger. The teen cheers and gives the monstrous nightmare a pet on the snout, then returns to a table he moved outside that has a number of tools, bowls, and materials spread over it. A handful of villagers have gathered at a distance to watch the inventor at work. Dragons are perched all around, as well, chattering away in their bubble of safety - they know by now that if they stay close to Hiccup, they won't be in any danger of the hunters.

As Viggo approaches the table, its contents become clearer. Dragon scales in a rainbow of colors are scattered across the woodtop, barely contained in the rough piles they’ve been gathered in. Next to the piles are bowls whose contents are just as colorful but more like a paint or paste that’s been spread over scraps of leather, wood, cloth. Hiccup’s notebook lays open among the mess with scribbled notes about ratios and materials and “fire proofness.”

“You’ve been busy this morning,” Viggo comments. Hiccup pulls the notebook towards him and adds a few notes about the shield still smoking on his arm.

“I had an idea,” he says absentmindedly, still focused on writing. He finishes his thoughts and finally looks at Viggo. “Obviously I don’t like dragon hides and all the implications of them and what happens to dragons to get them - I don’t need to tell you all of that. But I was thinking there must be an alternative, right? Preferably a different product entirely, one not dragon related, but it’s not like we can just stop all the dragon hunting overnight and expect the tribe to not suffer from that, so,” Hiccup holds up the shield, “the solution!”

Upon closer inspection Viggo can now see that the shield is covered in the colorful paints Hiccup seems to have created. The smoke is finally gone from them yet there’s a lingering warmth from the heat of the monstrous nightmare’s flames when he runs his fingers over the smooth surface. He gently pries it from Hiccup’s grasp so he can turn it around, see that the back is entirely cool and unmarred by the flames except for some uncovered bits around the edges.

“It took a lot of experimenting, but I think I found a reliable way to turn dragon scales into a paste that can be applied to different materials like shields and armor and leather. It retains its fireproof characteristics, keeps the vibrant colors of a healthy dragon, and it doesn’t harm the dragons since they shed their scales all the time!”

“How did you get it to adhere to the shield? I’ve tried something similar with grinding up dragon scales but I could never find an adhesive that could withstand the heat of dragon fire.” There was a time where Viggo had seen the mountains of discarded dragon scales and wondered what could be done with them aside from adding them to accessories and embellishments. That idea was abandoned rather quickly, unfortunately.

“Dragon spit.”

Viggo lowers the shield to stare at the dragon rider with a flat look. “The same slime you come home covered in?”

Hiccup deflates in irritation and sputters out, “I do not come home  _ covered _ in it-”

“Really? Because I’ve lost count of the times I’ve kissed you and came back with a mouthful of dragon spit-”

“Okay, okay! We’re not talking about how Toothless is overly affectionate.” The dragon in questions perks up with an offended huff from the roof of the forge, glaring at Hiccup and Viggo from his perch. “We’re talking about how I just found a way to cut down on the production of dragon hides without cutting down on the overall profits of the tribe and also creating an entirely new market of products for trade.” He snatches the shield back and adds on as an afterthought, “aaand how I can fireproof basically anything I want, now.”

Viggo grins, kisses Hiccup's cheek, and let's the dragon rider get back to his experiments. This isn't the radical uprising he was expecting when bringing Hiccup home. It isn't the teen fighting Viggo at every turn of his business or sabotaging their equipment to keep them from hurting dragons. This is logic and real solutions that Viggo can implement when Spring comes around. No doubt there will still be fights and unhappy clients, but so long as his profits stay relatively the same the dragon hunter chief is willing to make some changes.

It’s after Snoggletog that Viggo begins work on his own project. While Hiccup is off picking up work around the village, Viggo is in his study designing, then in the forge crafting. In less than a week, he has a beautifully forged ring of gold with a dragon winding around the outside of the band. He keeps it in his pocket at all times waiting for the right moment to ask the question he never thought he'd get to ask.

If they'd had anything like a normal courtship, then Viggo would have planned it out more, would have added in little details of things that brought them together, would have staged it in a place that was special to them. But this isn't a normal relationship that he and Hiccup have had. So he's elected to be a bit more spontaneous - a trait Viggo picked up from Hiccup soon into their war and is glad to get to utilize in a different setting.

The downside to having not planned out anything is that the "right moment" doesn't come until the first time winter breaks, several weeks after Viggo finished the ring. For the first time in months the sun is warm enough to soften the snow piled around the village and allow heavy cloaks to be removed, the streets are filled with children running about and adults gathering in the patches of afternoon sun.

Not only is it the perfect weather for snowball fights and afternoon strolls, according to Hiccup it's also the perfect weather for Viggo's first flight.

It's a curious feeling hoisting himself onto Toothless' back and fitting himself behind Hiccup. He might liken it to riding a horse (for the few times he's had the chance) - being lofted above the ground, levied on a powerful beast with a mind of its own, that same power permeating the air around it so that Viggo feels it thrum in his own being. Suddenly it makes sense why the dragon riders act like they're invincible when they're only perched atop their dragons. The anticipation of getting into the air has Viggo inwardly vibrating, wanting to know how much more powerful one can feel when a dragon is in its home, in the air where it's the most dangerous.

With a crouch and a leap, Toothless is launching them into the sky at speeds that force Viggo to grab at Hiccup's waist to keep himself on the nightfury's back, stomach struggling to catch up to his body and heart beating wildly in his chest. The wind is harsh on his exposed skin even as they level out among the clouds, the chill of winter prevalent where there's no ground to hold the heat of the sun and no buildings to block the cool breeze. They sway in the air like a rowboat out at sea.

Viggo can feel Hiccup's eyes on him excitedly taking in his reactions. His first instinct is to lock it all away, be stoic and collected in the face of new experiences, appearing strong for his people. His eyes drift down. Way way way down to his island where his people look like nothing more than specks of dirt over a map and a few of the specks - dragons - grow bigger as they take to the sky as well. He follows their path and takes in the clouds billowing around them, the sun filtering through them, the blue backdrop that makes them seem so much brighter.

The muscles in his face relax allowing his wonder to show through. His heart begins to calm. One of Hiccup's hands moves from the saddle to ensnare itself with Viggo's and the chief is thankful for the grounding touch even as a part of him wants to shake it off so he can get lost in the feeling of being miles above the ground, untouchable by his duties and the nagging questions of villagers.

"Ready for the real flying?" Hiccup gives him a crooked grin, one that promises a day of exhilarating dives and terrifying loops and a view of his home from angles Viggo could have only dreamed of before now. He grins back, kissing the younger man's jaw and wrapping one arm tighter around his waist.

With a joyful warble from Toothless and a laugh from Hiccup, they soar higher and faster. Every daring maneuver, every twist and turn they make, loosens an age old knot inside Viggo's soul and he lets himself laugh in this place where no one can hear him and no one can tell him not to. He lets Hiccup's enthusiasm seep into him until he's matching the triumphant cries and roars of the dragon and rider.  _ This _ , he thinks,  _ this is freedom. This is why Hiccup wakes before the sun, why he stares at the endless blue sky with longing, why he's irritated and flighty after being on the ground too long. Why would he ever come down when he can have all of this? _

Viggo is broken from his thoughts when Hiccup leans back into him, eyes closed in bliss and a small serene smile on his lips. He plants a kiss at the rider's temple, slips both his arms securely around his body, and rests his chin on his shoulder. It's the first bit of peace the chief has felt in a very long time.

"Hey," Hiccup says, turning his head into Viggo, the cold tip of his nose brushing against the older man's cheek. Viggo hums in reply, eyes focused ahead at the growing pinks and oranges of the sky. "Marry me?"

Everything stops.

"Excuse me?"

Did that sound accusatory? It must have because Hiccup is gradually sinking into his arms as if he could disappear if he tries hard enough. Viggo takes a breath and calms his tone.

"How is it that you always find a way to ruin my plans?"

"I, uh…what are you-?"

Viggo pulls away far enough to dip a hand into his pocket and retrieve the ring. Without asking, he takes Hiccup's hand and slides the golden band over the appropriate finger, admiring his own handiwork when the evening sun hits it just right to make the dragon look like it's flying circles around Hiccup's finger. He doesn't need to see the glittering tears accumulating in Hiccup's eyes to know they're there, but Viggo looks anyways so he can forever remember the sight of two forests lit up by passion and the setting sun.

They kiss, slow and comfortable and heavy with all the love overwhelming them in this moment and Viggo decides right then that he'll do anything to keep Hiccup with him. He'll open himself up to whatever crazy ideas the dragon rider comes up with, he'll form them into something that can keep his tribe prosperous and stand firm against his grandfather when the man inevitably protests the changes.

No one will take this treasure from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Savor the fluff and good feelings, like, really take it in right now...


	9. Strange Places

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiccup wakes up and things just don't seem right...

Hiccup wakes up, head pounding and body feeling oddly cold despite the blanket draped over him. He reaches a hand out in search of something, something to warm him, something that should be next to him, but all his fingertips come in contact with is empty space. One eye cracks open. The only light is from the hearth downstairs casting a warm glow at the edges of his loft.

Gently, he props himself up and looks around, ignoring the way his head protests even that small action. Next to his bed is a chair with a thin blanket thrown over its back - a usual addition to his room when he’s bedridden with an injury. Wracking his brain Hiccup vaguely remembers a recon mission and a crash.

Okay, so he must have hit his head and the riders were able to find him and get him back to Dragon’s Edge. That's good… that he was found.

Toothless saddles up next to the bed, brows furrowed, concern dripping off him. He noses Hiccup's cheek, his chest, a lump on his head that must be causing his headache. Hiccup plants his palms on the nightfury's face and gently pushes him off.

"It's okay, Bud, I'm fine." At least he thinks he's fine. Aside from the headache, there's still the feeling like something is missing beside him and his hand instinctively rests on the bed in search of it. Toothless leans in to sniff at the spot, a low, sad croon following the action.

"Hiccup," Astrid's head pops into view at the top of the stairs, voice alight with relief, "you're awake, finally!" She hops up the last few stairs and is quickly at Hiccup's bedside setting a set of fresh wrappings and a bowl of water on the side table. Her arms wrap around Hiccup in a hug that's soft for Astrid but still a bit rough for her friend, though he doesn't say anything other than a half-stifled grunt. When she pulls away, she tugs the chair closer to the bed and sits on the edge of it. "How are you feeling?"

"Well my head isn't doing too great," he tries for a joking tone, but can't hide the grimace when Astrid's hand goes up to inspect the sore spot on his head. His friend returns the look as she sits back and her eyes tentatively meet his.

"Yeah, there was a struggle getting you back…" she trails off.

"Oh, dragon hunters, I'm sure…" That doesn't sound right, though. "I just assumed I hit my head in the crash."

Astrid's face flashes with an uncertain look as if there's something off about his assumption, or maybe something not so off about it. "Well, there was the original crash and…" she sighs, takes Hiccup's hand in both of hers (her hands feel  _ too small _ ), and puts on a determined face. "Hiccup, you crashed and Viggo got to you before us. You weren't with him long, but the crash messed with your memory and Viggo took advantage of that. We were able to track you down, though, and get you out of there, but he had you pretty brainwashed so you put up a fight - that's how you crashed again and now, apparently, your memory is shot, again."

That's… that's a lot to take in. So Viggo had him for some indiscernible amount of time while he had amnesia and molded him into someone that would fight his own friends? A twist forms in Hiccup's stomach at the thought. He looks to Toothless for comfort and is surprised to see the dragon looking at Astrid instead. His brow is low in an almost- glare and his pupils aren't as round as they would be if he were relaxed, his body is tense. It reminds Hiccup of the first few weeks after the Red Death when the nightfury would stand in defense against anyone that got too close to his rider. He pulls the dragon's head into his lap, running his palms over smooth scales to soothe himself and his friend.

"It's probably for the best that you don't remember what he did to you."

Hiccup disagrees. He'd rather know exactly what the man did to get him to resist coming home with his friends.

Astrid let's Hiccup stay silent, filling the room with updates on the other riders as she works on changing his wrappings. Fortunately, he got away with mostly just cuts along his arms and some over his chest and back. It seems strangely placed for some of them - his armor would have protected his torso so he must not have been wearing it when the riders found him.

"We'll head out in the morning. Viggo's probably right on our tail and we'll be more protected on Berk until your head is better. And Fishlegs says being around a familiar setting will be good for your memories. You seem pretty okay right now, but it wouldn't hurt to make sure all the important parts are there. Maybe it will help push away the bad memories, too."

Astrid smiles, proud and reassuring. Toothless huffs at her and buries his snout in Hiccup's tummy. It causes the warrior's smile to falter, but Astrid swiftly puts it back on and ignores the dragon.

"Get some rest." She hesitates, then leans in to peck a kiss onto Hiccup's cheek. Toothless gives an indignant roar as the young woman struts for the stairs and leaves the hut and Hiccup's hands instantly grip around the nightfury's neck to keep him from running after his friend.

"Toothless! What's going on with you?" The dragon has never acted this way towards Astrid's affections before. Toothless pulls his glare away from the stairs so he can nose at the "assaulted" cheek, huffing moodily at it. Hiccup's face is only slightly flushed from the kiss from his crush. And yet… there was no flutter in his belly or tingle on his skin from the kiss. All the feelings that once flooded him just from being near Astrid are absent and he can't help but wonder if Viggo has something to do with that.

He lays down and drags the blanket up to his chest. Toothless spares one last look at the door before resting his massive head over his rider and rumbling out a purr that vibrates through Hiccup. Even though it agitates his head, he welcomes the calming sound of it, falling into a deep sleep as his exhaustion catches up with him.

By morning the headache is barely a throb in the back of his head. The sunlight that peeks through the windows isn't painful to look at and there's only a slight pang when he hoists himself up and out of bed. There is an ache present in the rest of his body, one Hiccup only feels after he's been moving around his hut getting ready for the day, though it's nothing he can't push through until he's back on Berk.

His armor is missing - he assumes that's something that got left with the hunters or maybe Viggo had it destroyed during his brainwashing. Whatever the reason, Hiccup finds he doesn't mind too much except for on the principle of the matter: it's a loss at the hands of dragon hunters, but this gives him an excuse to craft something new, something better.

"Guess this'll have to do for now," he says, half to himself and half to Toothless as he pulls a thick tunic over his head. The leather of his armor would have been warmer, but it's only autumn so a warm tunic plus the sun will be enough to keep him warm on the flight to Berk. "Ready for breakfast, Bud?"

The nightfury bounds down from the loft, landing next to Hiccup. Together they head up to the clubhouse where the rest of the riders are already gathered and each greet Hiccup as he enters.

"How's your head feel?" Astrid asks, taking the seat next to him.

"Eh, better. Everything else hurts, though." Hiccup takes a bite of bread.

"Any memories come back? Did you dream of anything or see flashes of faces? I was talking to Bjorg once and he said after he got amnesia he'd have moments where he would zone out from the sight of certain items. When he came back to, he'd remember something he'd lost." Fishlegs cuts in. He has a notebook at the ready and seems excited by the prospect of hearing about Hiccup's experience. Snotlout and the twins look just as interested despite all of them knowing that the memories Hiccup gets back might not be pleasant ones.

"Nothing, yet, Fishlegs. It's all just blank when I try to think about the time right after I was shot down." The group deflates from the news.

"It's for the best," Astrid asserts, staring down each of the riders. "Hiccup doesn't need to remember whatever horrors Viggo put him through." Her hand takes Hiccup's and squeezes it in support. He offers a tight grin and takes his hand back so he can continue eating. It's unsettling that so many feelings are missing in one interaction, that his face doesn't flush and his body doesn't feel lighter from her touch.

"We'll see what happens when we get to Berk." Hiccup doubts much could trigger him there. If anything, he probably won't get anything back until he sees a dragon hunter or Viggo for the first time. Regardless, he'd rather not linger on the topic lest his imagination start filling the gaps with undesirable possibilities. "Hey, did it snow while I was out?"

It's a tad early in the season for snow, but Hiccup could swear he saw some clinging to the rooftops and the grassy areas on the ground on his way to breakfast.

The riders discretely share a look, startled and desperate for someone else to answer. Astrid takes the lead.

"It was just a flurry last night, nothing major, will probably be melted by this afternoon." She picks up her plate and gestures for the others to follow, "we should head out soon. The faster we get home the better."

No one argues as they begin to vacate the table, clearing it of any plates and cups, and packing away the rest of the food for the long flight ahead. Hiccup is left sitting with only a piece of bread in his hands and confusion at the sudden change.

Getting into the air and on track to Berk proves to be more difficult than anticipated. The moment Hiccup and Toothless take flight Toothless starts pulling in the opposite direction they need to go, twisting his body and wings against the position Hiccup has the tailfin in.

"To- Toothless! Cut it - whoa! - cut it out, Toothless." Hiccup tugs at the saddle to get the dragon's attention and turn it towards Berk. "We're trying to get  _ away _ from the Dragon Hunters, not charge right back to them."

Toothless responds with a deep, sad croon, eyes searching the horizon for something that his rider can't figure out.

"Bet he's trying to get revenge," Snotlout pipes up from Hookfang as the pair swoop into their line of sight and cause Toothless to grumble. "Want to hunt down the hunters that took your buddy, huh, Toothless?"

Hiccup looks wearily between his nightfury and Snotlout. He knows the dragon isn't adverse to revenge, especially when it comes to anyone that lays a hand on his rider, but there's usually a fury in Toothless' eyes when he's in that kind of mood. Right now the dragon just seems desperate and forlorn.

"Well, whatever it is it can wait till later. Let's just get back to Berk." He reaches a hand down to run it over Toothless' neck until the dragon looks away from whatever's across the horizon and adds, "I bet Dad's been missing us - it's been a while since the last time we visited."

The nightfury's eyes light up at the mention of Stoick. He looks away, considering, then nods his head and turns around so they can finally start the journey. The group collectively lets out a sigh of relief and Hiccup takes a moment to wonder if he's ever seen them so eager to go back since they moved to Dragon's Edge. The thought quickly leaves his mind as they take off and a sense of normalcy overcomes them. It's a welcome change to some of their strange behavior in the last few hours and Hiccup relaxes as Tuffnut and Ruffnut bicker back and forth with Snotlout egging them on.

It's in a period of boredom that Hiccup's fingers start to fiddle with the saddle, finding all the spots he uses to keep his hands occupied and realizing they're not quite the same as he remembers. An inspection reveals to him worn spots that have been repaired, a newly polished finish encompassing the saddle, gears on the rigging that have been cleared of soot and grease buildup. He doesn't remember doing any of that. Looking behind him, it's clear the tailfin was also modified at some point if the brighter red is any indication.

When did he do all of that work? It had to have happened before the riders rescued him, but then how could he have gotten a chance to do all that while in Viggo's custody? Was that part of the man's game?

Hiccup's heart beats fast in his chest. He takes a breath, calms himself outwardly so his friends won't start asking questions. Something tells him they either won't have an answer or Astrid will try brushing it off like before. Desperately curious, Hiccup's hands start feeling out all the hidden pockets within their range, the pockets he uses to store notes and maps and small items that could easily fall from saddlebags.

Every note has changed.

What once were notes on the Dragon Eye and lense locations are now notes on dragon scales and armor sketches, "things-to-do" with the names of people he doesn't know and rough doodles of dragons by landmarks he doesn't recognize. And in the last pocket at the very front of the saddle, looking like it was hastily shoved in and buried between the scraps of parchment that already lived there, is a ring. A gold ring with a finely crafted dragon winding around its band and an engraving on the inside that lovingly states "My Dearest."

His eyes feel watery all of a sudden and he has to fight the urge to put the ring on his finger. Instead, he clutches it tight in his fist, blinking away the tears that want to fall, and taking slow breaths to steady the influx of nerves bubbling in his gut. Something isn't right. Something more must have happened in the short time he was with Viggo, something that Toothless knows, something that his  _ heart _ knows but can't remember properly.

He glances over the dragon riders around him. They've all been occupied in their own worlds and haven't noticed the crisis Hiccup is having on Toothless's back. He looks at the ring one last time and stashes it back in its pocket.

Berk is just a speck on the horizon, but it's in sight, now, and the group gains a burst of speed in their excitement to almost be done with the trip, to get to land and stretch their legs and eat. Hiccup puts on a grin and pretends to join in on their merriment - he's glad to get to rest like they are, but the weight of his discovery pulls him down and he's looking forward to being in the privacy of his room where he can process the notes and the ring on his own.


	10. Something's Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It becomes more and more apparent that something isn't quite right

Astrid tells him and the other riders to stay put as they land outside the chief's home. They hadn't told anyone that they found Hiccup, hadn't had the time to even send a terror mail before they left to save their leader, and with Hiccup's current condition it's best if Astrid just goes in by herself to explain the situation.

A little red flag goes up in Hiccup's head. Shouldn't he be there to greet his dad? Wouldn't his presence relieve the tension that Astrid seems to be anticipating?

He stays silent as his friend goes in to speak with Stoick. The trip to Berk has been long and the recent revelation of his changed notes and the mysterious ring has left him worn out. From down the hill and on the stairs to the Great Hall villagers begin to spot him, their calls of greeting filling the strange, tense silence the gang has fallen under. Hiccup waves back, willing his mind to focus on something other than the sound of Stoick's voice getting louder inside the hut or Astrid's voice rising to match in her frustration. Nothing they say can be understood from where the riders stand, but the obviously negative tone of the interaction has Fishlegs shuffling his feet and Snotlout glancing worriedly towards the hut before catching himself and darting his gaze away, again.

"Heh, probably just his anger at Viggo?" Fishlegs attempts to pacify when Hiccup aims a raised brow at him. He finds himself reluctantly accepting the answer, a bud of anger threatening to bloom inside his own chest at the thought of what Viggo could have done to him and for the memories he lost of that time. With a heavy sigh, Hiccup leans into Toothless.

Finally, the door shoots open and the riders bolt to alertness, half expecting Astrid to come barreling out of the hut. What they get instead is Stoick standing in the doorway, eyes alight with fury and glaring down each dragon rider until his eyes come to rest on his son. The anger clinging to the chief falls away in an instant and in that same moment Hiccup is hit with an overwhelming homesickness, the kind that makes it feel like he hasn't seen his dad in months or even years. He can't stop his legs from shooting him into his father's arms, can't stop his eyes from watering up when he's completely encased in the man's warmth. And Stoick holds him there, not caring that they're outside for everyone to see and only adjusting the hold to lay a hand on Toothless' head when the dragon butts in.

The chief pulls away after a long moment to address Hiccup's friends. "I want you all to go home." He spares a glance at Hiccup. "We'll talk about what you did, later."

The group nods, eyes barely meeting their chief's and agreement mumbled out as they mount their dragons and take off. Stoick is quick to usher Hiccup and Toothless inside, pulling them in for another tight hug after the door is closed.

"I've missed you, boys."

"I've missed you, too, dad." And that's true even if Hiccup only remembers it being a couple weeks since their last visit to Berk.

"Now," Stoick gives them one last squeeze, then lets go to walk deeper into the house, grabs a couple of mugs, and begins filling them with mead. "I want to hear all about what you've been up to."

What he's been up to?

"You mean besides, ah, getting captured by dragon hunters?" His dad should be furious right now. He should be interrogating Hiccup on what happened and making a plan to take down the hunters if they come for him and start finding ways to restore his memory. He shouldn't be pouring them drinks and chatting like this is just another visit for supplies.

"Ah, well, more so after that, I suppose." An arm wraps around Hiccup's shoulders and sits him down in his chair at the table where Stoick goes to sit across from him. "I was skeptical when Dagur came to me to explain what was going on - still don't trust that boy, but he seemed genuine enough. It was your letter that really convinced me."

The last letter he sent his father was an update on their last mission and oh, gods, what reason would Dagur have to visit Berk on his own?

"Uh, dad, I don't think we're entirely on the same page here."

It's only then that Stoick stops to look at Hiccup. In the time the man stares at him, Hiccup tracks his emotions from confusion to realization and a flash of anger to a certain uncertainty that's balanced by a calculating clarity.

"Son, what's the last thing you remember?"

Hiccup explains it to him the same way he did to the riders and just like them his dad gets this  _ look _ about him. Again, Hiccup is bombarded with the feeling of missing something vital, something more than the memories of being brainwashed by the chief of the dragon hunter tribe and he dearly hopes his dad will tell him what's going on.

"Maybe," Stoick hesitates, "you know, you've had a long flight and a rough couple days from the sounds of it. Why don't you head up to bed? You can get some rest and we'll catch up in the morning."

Hiccup wants to argue, wants to demand that Stoick tell him the truth instead of hiding everything from him. His mouth opens to do just that, but his voice dies in his throat. As much as he wants answers, his dad is right: Hiccup is exhausted. On top of the trip and the weird vibes he's been getting from everyone, his body is sore from whatever happened when his friends found him and there's still a slight pounding in his head. All he wants is to sleep.

"O-okay, sure," his voice is quiet, almost a whisper. "G'night, dad."

Toothless follows him up to the loft. He licks at Hiccup's hand when his rider stops short of the bed, a questioning croon accompanying the action. Hiccup sends his friend a reassuring smile, "I'm fine, bud."

He begins the process of removing the saddle and tailfin, unbuckling each piece and tucking it all away carefully. His hand hesitates over the pocket with the ring in it. His fingers itch to fidget with it, feel its weight in his palm, find comfort in it even though he has no clue where he got it from. After some debate, Hiccup leaves it there and heads for his bed.

He removes his boot and prosthetic and climbs under the blanket. Only after his rider is settled does Toothless move to his rock slab, warming the surface and winding himself into a cozy bundle to sleep. Hiccup tries to focus on the nightfury's steady breathing rather than the way his right hand searches for a ring on his left hand or the way his bed feels too small. It takes a while, but sleep eventually takes him.

When he wakes up, it's with a deep longing in his chest and tears wetting his cheeks. Across the room Toothless is sound asleep and Hiccup's thankful for that - his friend has been wound up with worry since Hiccup was recovered and doesn't need to know there's something upsetting his rider, especially when Hiccup doesn't even know what's so upsetting. There were no dreams he could recall last night nor any memories returning. He wipes the wetness from his face and gets ready for the day.

Downstairs Stoick is awake and going about making breakfast.

"Mornin' son! How're you feeling?" He appears to be in a better mood than the previous night, all traces of uncertainty and anger gone.

Hiccup stretches his shoulders and the muscles in his back, testing them for the soreness that's been bugging him the last couple days. "I don't hurt as much and my head feels better."

"That's good to hear," his dad sets a bowl of warmed stew in front of him, smile on his face. "Now, I was thinking and perhaps it's best if we keep things as normal as possible around here. We'll set you up back at the academy to work with the A Team and some of the younger generation, then you can spend some time with Gobber in the forge."

Taking a break from thinking about the war sounds nice. But Viggo is still out there and it's unlikely the man will lay off his attacks just because Hiccup and the riders aren't on Dragon's Edge.

"Dad, what if they come for me? Shouldn't we prepare for a battle or come up with some kind of plan?"

"Don't you worry 'bout that. I'll take care of it and you focus on getting those memories back." Stoick gives him a reassuring grin, one that only kind of puts Hiccup at ease. He trusts his dad to keep him safe, but that feeling is back that something's being kept from him.

He doesn't get the chance to start up his own interrogation before his friends show up at his door and he's dragged off to the academy for the rest of the morning.

The same strange mood follows Hiccup through the village and to training, the one that he glimpsed the day before when he arrived on Berk and that has everyone looking at him like they haven't seen him in ages or as if they're surprised to see him alive. His gut bubbles with anxiety. The crowd that forms along the edges of the arena don't help to ease his mind, not when their eyes stay glued to him.

What's worse is that it's clear they all have questions burning on their tongues, but every time anyone seems close to asking one of the riders intervenes.

"We're not bringing up Hiccup's absence," Astrid asserts when Spitelout and Gustav become more persistent. While Hiccup is grateful he doesn't have to deal with questions he clearly won't be able to answer, he also wishes his friends would back off some. He may be confused by the questions, but maybe they could offer insight to whatever secret the riders are trying to keep.

Training ends and the group opts to grab lunch from the Great Hall then find a nice grassy hill to picnic at. His friends avoid any talk of the current situation, steer the conversation to dragons and the twins' most recent pranks, new information Fishlegs learned about the fauna of an island not far from Dragon's Edge. Around them their dragons nap and play in the grass, the unusually warm autumn sun feeling refreshing and energizing after a morning of training. It's the most normal Hiccup has felt all day.

They linger up on the hill far longer than they should. There are other places they're needed on Berk - they have chores to do and the odd jobs their parents set aside for them especially for when they visit. No one is willing to break the peace, not until Hiccup decides maybe it's safe to ask the questions buzzing in his head.

"Hey guys? I'm not… I'm not  _ missing _ something, am I? I mean, you told me everything you know about what happened to me, right?"

The riders share a look amongst themselves. Astrid speaks up first.

"Of course, Hiccup." She gives him a smile, placing a hand on his arm, ignoring how Toothless huffs at her. "What you're going through must be hard, but you're our friend and we're going to do everything we can to get you through this."

The others enthusiastically call out their agreement.

"Right," Hiccup lets his eyes meet those of each of his friends, wills their reassuring faces to bring him comfort and settle the anxiety threatening to bubble back up in his stomach. These are his friends, his comrades, the people he can trust the most in this world. "Thank you."

His smile doesn't feel real to him, but it's enough to get his friends to dismiss the topic and move on with their day. They pack up the remains of their picnic and head down the path that will lead them back into the village.

Joining Gobber in the forge is like a balm to all his troubles of the day. His mentor greets him as if he never left and it's easy to fall into their regular routine, playful bickering included. Hiccup willfully goes on autopilot sharpening weapons, being Gobber's other arm, and ignoring the put-out feeling he gets every time he takes a customer's order and they don't engage in further conversation. He writes it off as a side effect of the time he's missing in his memory, perhaps a buried desire to catch up with everyone for whatever extra time he's been gone.

"Ye know, I was startin' ta think you were never comin' back!" Gobber comments after yet another group of villagers stops to welcome Hiccup back to Berk.

Hiccup snorts, still caught in the good mood of their familiar banter. "Come back? You make it sound like I had a choice."

"Eh, true" the blacksmith turns to give his apprentice a suave, knowing look, "if I fell as hard as you did, I wouldn't leave, either. Love 'as a way of doin' that ta people." He tacks on an eyebrow wiggle before returning his attention to his current project, unaware of the way Hiccup's face has paled or how it feels as if his stomach has dropped to the floor.

Love? Like,  _ falling in love? _ Who would Hiccup fall in love with in a tribe of  _ dragon hunters _ and why is Gobber acting like it's okay?

Everything comes spiraling back: the obvious secrets being kept by his friends, the unusually enthusiastic greetings from the tribe, his father's comments from last night, the strange instincts that keep popping up that he can't explain, and the ring he can't stop thinking about. Something isn't right and he needs to ask before the riders show up to drag him away, again.

"Gobber, h-how long was I gone for?" Hiccup asks, unsure if he wants to hear the answer after everything he's noticed all day. His mentor gives him a strange look, eyebrows scrunched together, prosthetic hammer paused midair as the molten sword before him is forgotten. Hiccup rephrases his question, "how long was I with the Dragon Hunters?"

The hammer lowers and Gobber turns to fully face his nephew. "Ye mean they didn't tell yeh?"

Hiccup shakes his head, arms tucking in as dread fills his gut.

"Did they tell ye  _ anything? _ "

Again, he shakes his head, then amends, "they told me Viggo captured and brainwashed me and that when they found me I hit my head and lost my memories… again. That's all. They won't tell me how long I was gone for or how they tracked me down or even where they found me."

"Well fer starters you were gon fer  _ months _ , Hiccup! They took ye before winter 'n it's spring, now - we were startin' to think you were dead!" Gobber swings his arm around as he gets worked up and the hammer piece nearly knocks a box of tools off the workbench. "Yer gone fer months and den one day Dagur comes flyin' into town with word of your whereabouts just to tell us he thinks yer better off there instead 'o here, your  _ home. _ " The man thunders around the forge. He angrily unlocks the hammer from his arm and replaces it with his hook, the  _ click _ as it locks into place hitting Hiccup's ears harsher than it ever has before.

The dragon rider's shoulders are hunched up to his ears, his heart beating in his chest so hard it's difficult to draw in breath. His fingers search for a ring that should be on his hand, a ring he thinks would have brought him comfort in this situation if only he could wear it without fear of his friends seeing it and confiscating it. Somewhere between the blood rushing in his ears and Gobber's yelling, Hiccup hears Toothless' concerned rumble, feels his dragon's flank against his hip, seeks comfort in scales even as he misses the metal that should be in his hand, a hand that finds its way to the pocket at the front of the saddle and rests on top of it.

"Come on," Gobber hobbles past him, gesturing with his hook. He doesn't look at Hiccup but instead focuses his furious stare ahead to ward off any villagers that might try to stop them.

"G-Gobber, wait, what about everything else? What were you saying about l-love and me falling for someone? What happened when I was gone?" He needs to know and he doesn't care who hears them.

"You sent us a letter," Gobber explains, though it's not much of an explanation. He doesn't elaborate until after they stop once they're away from the larger masses of villagers. "Told us you were happier in this other village, that ye felt more welcomed there than ye ever did on Berk and ye know what? I could believe that. I know yer life here 'asn't been great, lad."

His face softens, the late afternoon sun lighting the man's eyes and revealing to Hiccup a weariness born of many nights sat up worrying over the whereabouts and wellbeing of his honorary nephew.

"Dagur mentioned he thought you were fallin' in love with the chief of the hunter tribe and that just bout had me and Stoick charging straight through the winter storms to get to ya! Just like yer friends we thought you were bein' manipulated but the way you talked about 'im in yer letter…" that knowing look is back on Gobber's face. "It's the same way Stoick would talk about yer mother."

Hiccup's gut tightens with sadness at the mention of his parents and their love while simultaneously fluttering when he thinks about being in love with Viggo Grimborn. His head tells him it's wrong in every way, but his heart seems to know there's some kind of truth there.

As they march up the hill to the chief's hut, the pieces fall into place and suddenly Hiccup understands why something's missing in his bed, why he woke up feeling homesick despite being home, why Toothless has been so on edge when it comes to Astrid, and why his hands keep itching for that ring.

_ I want to go home _ , the thought echoes loudly in his head and resonates with his heart. Wherever the riders took him from he wants to go back and he wants to know if it's possible that he actually found a place to be happy, a place he can feel loved and love in return. And he especially wants to know if it's possible for him and Viggo to have found common ground even after the months of war and all the horrible things that have happened between them.

Gobber addresses Hiccup as he opens the door to the hut and gestures for the dragon rider to enter, "you wait in here while I find yer father and we can sort this mess out."

"No need for that, Gobber."

Stoick is already inside leaning over in his chair with his elbows propped on his knees. Pacing on the other side of the room is Dagur who stops to look over after he hears the door open. His eyes lock with Hiccup who freezes in place. Stoick and Gobber have both mentioned Dagur a few times, their comments alluding to the young chief's involvement in Hiccup's disappearance or, rather, the reason why he wasn't brought back to Berk sooner.

Dagur grins.

"You know, it's just your luck to actually get amnesia after spending months faking it, brother."


End file.
